Legendary actor and innovator Robert Redford, aged 89, has passed away.
Robert Redford: A Legendary Film Visionary Bids Farewell
Robert Redford, a movie star and film visionary known for more than 80 movies, including many classics, passed away at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
Born in a working-class family in Los Angeles, Redford grew up on a mostly Mexican block, an experience that shaped his perspective. As a child, he often misbehaved in school, finding himself at the blackboard, either being punished for misbehavior or drawing and telling stories.
His big break came in 1969 when he co-starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Studio executives initially objected, but Redford's charismatic performance proved them wrong. This film catapulted him to stardom, and he went on to star in lush period pictures like The Natural and Out of Africa throughout the 1980s, remaining popular and bankable in Hollywood.
Redford's acting style was minimalist and often interrupted to sound like actual speech, a trait that Carrie Rickey, a film critic, observed. His talent was not confined to the screen; he also found success on Broadway in Neil Simon's hit Barefoot in the Park.
In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, which has profoundly shaped decades of independent film. The Institute evolved into an independent powerhouse, with prestigious programs for theater, music, Native American film, and documentaries that helped produce Oscar honorees. Notable alumni include Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, and Robert Rodriguez.
The Sundance Institute's Sundance Film Festival, held annually, has announced its new home as Boulder, Colorado, where Redford dreamed of becoming an artist and attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, on a baseball scholarship.
Throughout his career, Redford's films were about the country he lived in and grew up in, interested in its complexity rather than black and white or political divisions, as he stated in 2013. He was passionate about environmental and Indigenous rights issues and often expressed concern about the oversimplification caused by celebrity culture, encouraging paying more attention to issues rather than celebrity rankings.
Despite his popularity, Redford never won an Oscar for acting. However, his impact on the film industry and the lives of countless artists cannot be overstated. His legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.
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